Conversations on Chemistry, V. 1-2 / In Which the Elements of that Science Are Familiarly Explained and Illustrated by Experiments

Transcriber’s Notes

Terminology

Many scientific terms used in this book are different from today’s standard terminology. The following is not meant as a comprehensive list.

oxy-muriatic acid	chlorine proposed as an element in 1815: see Conversation XIX
“columbium or tantalium”	niobium and tantalum the two elements always occur together, and were not recognized as separate until much later in the 19th century
phosphat of lime	calcium diphosphate or calcium the element calcium was isolated in 1808, but is named only once in this 1817 edition
glucium	beryllium Humphry Davy’s name for the element
muriatic acid	hydrochloric acid but still called “muriatic acid” for some commercial uses
muriat of lime	calcium chloride
oxymuriate of potash	potassium chlorate
muriat of soda	sodium chloride (table salt)
carbonic acid	carbon dioxide

Note also:

simple body, fundamental principle	element
fecula	starch (usually spelled “fæcula”)
spirit of wine	alcohol
philosopher	scientist
arts	industry, manufacture, crafts etc. (seldom “fine arts”)

Some essential concepts relating to living things—photosynthesis, microorganisms, the cell, proteins—are either unknown or not mentioned. The atom theory had been proposed, but not by Humphry Davy; it is not mentioned in this book.

The word “explode” is used at least once in its orginal, figurative sense (“a word that should be exploded in chemistry”) but far more often in its later, concrete one. The word “explosion” is always used concretely (“an explosion, or a detonation as chemists commonly call it”).

Calculated Values:

“the point of zero, or the absolute privation of heat, must consequently be 1260 degrees below 32 degrees”

-1228° F. The calculation is based on wrong premises; the correct figure is about -460° F or -273° C.

“Mercury congeals only at seventy-two degrees below the freezing point.”

-40° F, which is also -40° C. This figure is correct, though approximate.

“The proportion stated by Sir H. Davy, in his Chemical Researches, is as 1 to 2.389.”

[ammonia] “consisted of about one part of hydrogen to four parts of nitrogen.... and from the latest and most accurate experiments, the proportions appear to be, one volume of nitrogen gas to three of hydrogen gas”

These and similar calculations involving relative weight and volume make more sense when one knows the elements’ atomic weights. For nitric acid, HNO₃, the figures are 1:14:48, giving a proportion closer to 1:3.5. For ammonia, NH₃ (not 4), the figures are 14:3.

The first proportion was printed “2,389”. No other decimal numbers occur in the text, but a comma appears once as a thousands separator.

“The oxalic acid, distilled from sorrel, is the highest term of vegetable acidification; for, if more oxygen be added to it, it loses its vegetable nature, and is resolved into carbonic acid and water;”

Oxalic acid = H₂C₂O₄; carbonic acid (carbon dioxide) = CO₂. H₂C₂O₄ + O becomes H₂O + CO₂ + CO₂.

Chapter Numbering

The 3rd and 4th editions used the same Conversation (chapter) numbering. The apparent disappearance of XI and XII is the result of changes between the 4th and 5th (present text) editions:

Volume I: On Simple Bodies
4th edn.	5th edn.
I. II. III.	I. II. III.	No change
IV.	IV.	4th: On Specific Heat, Latent Heat, and Chemical Heat. 5th: On Combined Caloric, Comprehending Specific Heat and Latent Heat.
	V.	On The Chemical Agencies Of Electricity. Chapter added in 5th edition
V.	VI.	On Oxygen And Nitrogen.
VI.	VII.	On Hydrogen. 5th: new sections on Gas lights and Miner’s Lamp
VII.	VIII.	On Sulphur And Phosphorus. 5th: new section on Decomposition of Sulphur
VIII.	IX.	4th: On Carbone. 5th: On Carbon.
IX.	X.	On Metals.
X.		On Alkalies.
XI.		On Earths. Conversations X, XI were moved to Volume II as XIV, XV.
Volume II: On Compound Bodies
4th edn.	5th edn.
XII.	XIII.	On The Attraction Of Composition.
	XIV.	On Alkalies.
	XV.	On Earths. Conversations XIV, XV were previously X, XI in Volume I.
XIII.	XVI.	4th: On Compound Bodies. 5th: On Acids. Most of XIII, On Compound Bodies, became XVI, On Acids. Some introductory material was moved to XIV, On Alkalies.
XIV.	XVII.	4th: On The Combinations of Oxygen with Sulphur and with Phosphorus; and of the Sulphats And Phosphats. 5th: Of the Sulphuric and Phosphoric Acids: or, The Combinations of ....
XV.	XVIII.	4th: On The Combination of Oxygen With Nitrogen and with Carbone; and of The Nitrats And Carbonats. 5th: Of The Nitric And Carbonic Acids: Or The Combination ...
XVI.	XIX.	4th: On Muriatic And Oxygenated Muriatic Acids; and on Muriats. 5th: On The Boracic, Fluoric, Muriatic, and Oxygenated Muriatic Acids; and on Muriats.
XVII.	XX.	On The Nature And Composition Of Vegetables.
Remainder of book: number in 4th edn. + 3 = number in 5th edn.

Plates

Most Plates include the following text, engraved in smaller print:

Drawn by the Author / Engraved by Lowry / Published by Longman & C^o. Oct^r. 2^nd. 1809.

This date corresponds to the 3rd edition. Plates V, X and XIII—each containing material new to the 5th edition—read only “Lowry sculp.”

Inconsistencies and variant spellings

None of these lists are meant to be inclusive. They are typical of variations that were not marked as errors.

Standard spellings throughout the book:

bason, judgment, embrio, volcanos (plural), potatoe (singular)

Inconsistencies:

capitalization of “Fig.” or “fig.”

hyphenization of words such as “oxy-muriatic”

“glauber salt” and “Glauber’s salt” both occur

Variant forms:

opake, opaque

aëriform, aeriform

gasses, gases

phosphoret, phosphuret (but always carburet)

Libya, Lybia

dy(e)ing (from “dye”)

nap(h)tha

pla(i)ster

slak(e)ing

earthen-ware, earthen ware

“sulphurous”, “naphtha” are used in the Contents and the Index; “sulphureous”, “naptha” in the body text

forms in “-xion” (such as “connexion”) appear only in the Contents and the Index

Volume I has more archaic forms than Volume II:

“shew”, “inclose” are sometimes used instead of “show”, “enclose”

“carbone” with final “e” appears in one Plate caption. (In the same plate’s header, the “e” appears to have been removed by the engraver.)

“develope(ment)” is more common in Volume I, “develop(ment)” in Volume II

“-ize” and “-yze” forms (for later “-ise” and “-yse”) are common in Volume I, rare in Volume II except in the Index

The “Dr. Marcet” mentioned in a few footnotes and figure captions is the author’s husband. Humphry Davy (“Sir H. Davy”) was knighted in 1812, between the 3rd and 4th editions of the book.

Reminder

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.